Latest News Articles by Ian McKay
Beautiful piscatorial plates go swimmingly in German sale
15 October 2018Catching the eye in a German auction was a fine example of the most beautiful of all piscatorial plate books.
First book printed in Antarctica offered in New York as part of the Joe Fitzsimmons library
08 October 2018The first book printed and published in Antarctica was 'Aurora Australis', a work produced during the 1908-09 Nimrod expedition led by Ernest Shackleton.
Rare Indian Army photos march into saleroom
08 October 2018Types of the Indian Army… of 1897 is a photographically illustrated oblong folio work from which the mounted carbon print shown below, one of 60 in all, is taken.
Oor Wullie and pals delight the comic hoarders
08 October 2018Head in his hand and seated on a bucket for his 1941, first annual appearance, Oor Wullie, a favourite character from the Scottish Sunday Post, led the bidding in a September 9 comics sale.
Napkyn covers remedies for plague and smallpox
08 October 2018“Conteyning divers Excellent & Approoved Remedies in Physique – and Chirurgery…”, an early 17th century manuscript of some 130 or so pages that seems to have been intended for publication, brought a much higher than expected bid in a recent London sale.
British and Irish book auctions: October 9-20, 2018
08 October 2018ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from October 9-20, 2018.
Galileo and the calculating countess
01 October 2018An American library on the history of computing formed by the late Erwin Tomash provided the new season’s first major sale.
Get your Gentlemen’s Gaiters here!
01 October 2018A collection of fashion books and plates offered as part of an Exeter sale on September 12 was led at £1050 by an 1831, second edition of John Jackson’s The Improved Tailor’s Aera.
Nancy’s reward came in the Pursuit of Love
01 October 2018Before finally achieving success in 1945 with The Pursuit of Love and then with Love in a Cold Climate, Nancy Mitford had published three novels. Two of these made record sums in a recent Stansted sale.
Brazilian birds – rare and costly creatures
01 October 2018Jean Théodore Descourtilz’s Oiseaux brillans du Brésil “…is so rare that I had begun to doubt its existence”.
British and Irish book auctions: October 2-12, 2018
01 October 2018Our round-up of British and Irish book sales coming up from October 2-12, 2018.
Marking three decades with the Dominic Winter anniversary sale
24 September 2018Founder remembered as anniversary sale sheds light on evolution of the Narnia Chronicles
Record catch for a Compleat Angler
24 September 2018Containing an original watercolour, one of just a dozen de luxe copies of the 1931, Harrap edition of Izaak Walton’s 'Compleat Angler', illustrated by Arthur Rackham, made a record equalling £10,000 at Gildings (18/12% buyer’s premium) of Market Harborough.
Dangerous and hard to find: Rigby Graham’s 'The Casquets'
24 September 2018This linocut comes from one of just 30 copies of Rigby Graham’s 'The Casquets… the most dangerous Channel Islands' issued by the Brewhouse Press in 1972.
15th century Venetian edition of Julius Caesar's 'Commentarii' takes £19,000 at Sotheby's
24 September 2018Following on from last week’s 19th and 20th century literature round-up, this second selection focuses on earlier works sold in London and New York during the summer.
British and Irish book auctions: September 25-October 6, 2018
24 September 2018Our round-up of British and Irish book sales coming up from September 25-October 6, 2018.
Several sales of the centuries as printed rarities set records
17 September 2018Real rarities and record breakers are among items that feature in this first of a couple of reviews of more literary lots from the wealth of summer sales. Here the focus is principally on works of the last 200 years or so – and includes such diverse characters as Hugh the Heron and the Invisible Man.
War on the American frontier is the focus of San Francisco sale
17 September 2018Accounts of wars and skirmishes in the southern states of North America and Mexico were one notable feature of an August 23 sale held in San Francisco.
British and Irish book auctions: September 18-27, 2018
17 September 2018Our round-up of British and Irish book sales coming up from September 18-27, 2018.
Heraldic manuscripts lead Halls sale in Shrewsbury
10 September 2018Two lots offering heraldic manuscripts – one of them being of particular regional interest – produced the highest bids in a mixed sale of collectables and militaria held in Shrewsbury.